Lifeguards Wanted For Public Pool

NEW MILFORD — School is out and summer officially starts this week, but the only public swimming pool in Susquehanna County isn’t open yet for the season.

The opening of the pool was scheduled for June 10 but was delayed a bit for some construction. Now the problem is there aren’t enough lifeguards.

Newswatch 16 was at the public pool in New Milford a year ago this week. A hot first day of summer last year had kids splashing away, cooling off there.

But the only outdoor public pool in Susquehanna County is now empty.

It has been getting patched up, getting a new lift for the disabled added and other repairs, pushing back opening day.

“Now the construction is complete so we’re cleaning out the pool and getting it ready and filled up for students and children who want to come to the pool,” said pool manager Shawn Carey.

Carey says there’s one big thing that could prevent that: getting lifeguards in the chairs for the season. So far he only has one, he needs six or seven.

“With this pool here, being the only swimming pool in Susquehanna County, you’d think I’d have a lot of lifeguards, but I don’t,” Carey said.

The hope is to start filling the pool with water the next couple days. It takes three days to fill, and then they’re hoping to open for the season next week. But of course that requires some lifeguards.

“We’ve had the same lifeguards for a while now, but hopefully there are kids out there who need a summer job and would like to try it,” said Amanda Arnold.

Arnold is anxious for the pool to open. She works at Endless Mountains Learning Center, the day care right next to the pool.

“We’ve been coming to the pool for about 10 years now. We go every day after lunch and the kids have been asking, the parents have been asking. We’re just ready for them to be open for the summer!”

The pool manager certainly wants to see the pool full of people again but he just needs guards looking for a job, or people willing to be trained.

“I’ve seen the weather and I know it’s going to be a hot one so hopefully we’ll be able to open it up within the next week or so,” Carey added.

If you have interest in being a lifeguard in New Milford, just call the borough office.